


Lullaby

by Gloomiebunny009



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Romance, Suzaku goes Die Hard on the JLF, gender flip -Kururugi Suzaku, implied/past rape non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 05:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19761787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomiebunny009/pseuds/Gloomiebunny009
Summary: Suzaku learned quickly a lot can change in a short span of time when she was a child. Life moves quickly, and does not stop for anyone and in her short life she has lost many things. But she has gained something she never expected, something precious and worth living for. Suzaku decided that she would keep going, keep moving even if that means taking a job as a hotel maid.She just never expected to be taken hostage her first day and fight her way up to the top to take out their leader...or reunite with her best friend....





	Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> So this has been done for a while, I've just been so busy I haven't been able to edit it. With some motivation from LP and Suzaku's birthday I was finally able to get this somewhat readable. So enjoy!

Cold showers are the worst.

Suzaku shivers as the ice cold water hits her skin as she stands under the shower head. For a moment she hugs herself trying to work up some form of warmth but it fails as always. It takes everything she has left to start moving. She knows the faster she washes up, the faster this shower ends and she can head to bed.

It’s been a super exhausting day at boot camp, which makes her wonder who the hell pissed off their trainers. Usually the trainers are somewhat reasonable even with her group being Elevens. But today was the worst.

Well...actually that isn’t a big mystery now that she thinks about it. Suzaku remembers hearing a big shot noble from the homeland arrived today. He was there to help train the Britannian soldiers with Knightmares or something. The rumors going around is he's been a big pain in the ass, which sounds about right for a noble. Of course the trainers then decided to take it out on the Honorary Britannians since there was no way in hell they could get back at a _noble_...

The training’s been more grueling than before thanks to this, leaving even Suzaku half dead. If it weren’t for the dirt and grim that clings to her body she would go to bed with no shower. But of course it had been raining earlier today, and there is no way she’s going to make her bed gross. Laundry is only done once a week so that means she'd be stuck sleeping in that mess for way to long.

No...she needs to get this shower done and over with, not only because she’s tired…

Suzaku grits her teeth as she starts to wash her hair, running her fingers through her locks to loosen up the mud. From there she pours the non-scented shampoo conditioner on to her head, taking time to work it in. The dirt and grim fall out in chunks at first, which makes her pour more and scrub harder. Soon the water running off her head is clear which makes her focus on her skin next.

This is a bit easier, finding this dirt sticking a bit less thick than what was in her hair. It only takes a few scrubs and soon she can see her own skin again. She wishes her shower was a hot one still given the cool weather still outside. It would help her tense aching muscles as well, but...yeah that isn’t going to happen any time soon.

Still a part of her misses warm water, baths even more and wonders if she’ll ever get use to this.

‘ _Probably_ _not.’_ She thinks with a smile, tilting her head as she runs her fingers through her hair one more time. Her eyes slide close, as she realizes she’s stopped shaking at least so there is that.

Opening her eyes, Suzaku finds the knob to turn off the shower with ease, turning it off and leaving her in the cold shower room. Sure she’s freezing, and her lips are blue but at least she’s not covered in mud anymore. She shakes her head, getting the excess water out from her short curly locks like a dog. Running a hand through them is more than enough to work out the knots for now. Suzaku figures she'll try to brush her hair later, when she has more time.

The water dripping from the faucet above her echos around her as she stands there in the stall as she listens. The showers are quiet, with only the wind blowing outside and joining the dripping water. Thankfully the air around her is starting to warm which means she needs to leave. It’s about time she heads a back to the dorms, realizing she might have taken to long. The trainers usually do their rounds every night around the same time. Which usually gives her plenty of time to run and take a shower and come back. But thanks to all the dirt and grim she had...yeah she was way slower than usual.

Sighing a bit, and preparing herself for some form of punishment, Suzaku turns and pulls back the shower curtain….and feels her stomach drop.

Standing in front of her is the noble that arrived today...Jacob Foley who smiles at her. Suzaku takes a step back as he leans against the tile wall, blocking her. He’s naked, except for a towel wrapped around his waist that he holds with his free hand. His red hair is a mess, sticking this way and that while his brown eyes shine with excitement. Her whole body shakes as he look her up and down, stopping at her breasts before focusing back on her face. He leers at her as he tsks to himself making her feel small...like some rabbit caught in a predator's stare.

Her voice is caught in her throat, as she opens and closes her mouth. She tries to think up of something to say, something to get her out of here. But she can't leave!! If she leaves then...then...she can't make up for what she's done. She has to stay!

Shit...she really did take to long….shit, shit, shit...

“Well, well, well, what do we have _here_?”

* * *

A harsh bump on the tracks wakes Suzaku up from her deep sleep as she feels herself jolt forward. The heavy weight on her chest keeps her against the seat, as hot confusion rushes through her. The panic in her chest is painfully familiar as her eyes snap open to a blurry sight. It does not help much, making her nearly jump up to her feet. But she pushes it down, the rational part of her mind taking hold. Suzaku forces herself to blink, and breathe. It takes a moment, but she remembers as her vision clears and all that is left of her nightmare is her heart, beating frantically inside of her.

The thumping rings in her ears as she realizes she’s sweating. It’s a cold sweat that drips down her cheeks and forehead, stinging her skin in all to familiar way. Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, she closes her eyes as she tries to relax back into her seat. Her breathing is still all erratic, but soon she gains control doing her best not to gain attention. She doesn’t need to scare the Britannians here.

Oh...it’s been a long time since she dreamed about _that_.

Part of her wonders what brought it on as her heart keeps thundering in her ears for a bit longer, feeling like it’s never going to calm. While a bigger side is so... _relived_ it didn’t go further. She...rather not think about that today. Especially since she needs her shit together for her new job. Suzaku has no time to be a mess….

A wiggling on her chest brings her attention back down to earth in a snap, as a smile comes to her lips. Soon she finds her self staring into two big tired green eyes once their owner lifts his head up. A part of her hope she didn’t wake him, he was sleeping on her chest so content after all. A bit of drool leaks down his cheek, making her grin.

‘ _He’s to damn cute!’_

“Hey, did the bump wake you up?” She asks, voice soft as she pulls her sleeve up to wipe away his drool from the corner of his mouth.

“Mmm hmm.” He nods his head as he shifts, sitting up a little bit more. “Big bump.”

“Yeah it woke me up too Seiryu.” Suzaku says shifting a bit in her seat. Her butt has gone a little numb, and her legs are a bit restless. She hopes they'll be arriving at their stop soon, all this sitting is driving her a bit nuts.

She tangles gentle fingers in Seiryu's soft curly hair while he takes his time to wake. Suzaku doesn’t want to rush him, knowing all too well a grumpy three year old is the last thing she needs. Especially if she's going to leave him at his new baby sitter while she’s away at work all day. Not that he’s a grumpy toddler to begin with of course. But any three year old woken up out of a sound sleep can be a pain from her experience. She hums as she rubs soothing circles against his scalp, feeling him relax and lean into her touch.

Glancing out the window of the train she’s a bit surprised to see how close they are to the station and their new home. A bit of excitement settles in her chest, wondering how things will work out. This is their chance at a new start in life, and Suzaku is not going to waste it. Maybe this is good luck...sleeping through most of their journey means there’s less to wait for! And with this impressive sight, this has to be a sign!

A sign of good things to come, of new starts and a new home for them both. It will be rough for a little while, but Suzaku knows she can work through it. As long as she has Seiryu...

Mt. Fuji is as impressive as she remembers, while the sakuradite mine sticks out of the side like a sore thumb. Suzaku remembers as a child how the mountain had been bare with no such thing. It’s scary how many things can change in a short span of seven years. Hell in only three she knows one’s entire world can be turned upside down.

But no, no time to dwell on that! This is a new start, and she is not going to waste it thinking about the past. She has to keep moving forward, not for herself but for Seiryu most of all.

“Mama...I have to pee.” Seiryu pats the side of her face, pulling her right from her thoughts in an instant.

Suzaku’s smile returns as she looks back down. “Not surprised there buddy, you did sleep pretty good. Not that I don’t have to go myself.”

With a groan she sets Seiryu down on the ground before standing up herself. Her back cracks a bit as she stretches her arms over her head, feeling that familiar burn tingle in her body. Glancing down she sees Seiryu do the same, his little eyes squeezed shut as he stretches his arms above his head as far as he can go. His shirt rides up a bit showing off his tummy before he let’s his arms flop down, and he open his eyes. He grins up at Suzaku who rustles his hair.

“All ready?” She asks tilting her head.

“Yep!”

Seiryu starts off in front of her, running about as fast as his little legs can take him. She follows after, giving him soft direction to the where she remembers the bathrooms being.

* * *

“Oh wow this is the first time I’ve ever been out of the Tokyo Settlement! It’s beautiful!”

Shirley Fenette leans a bit closer to the train’s window, watching the scenery pass by with glee. She fiddles with the pocky in her hand, rolling it between her fingers as excitement runs through her. Even with the train’s speed she can see how amazing the Area 11’s countryside is. Gosh does she wish she could be out there exploring it all. Maybe with _someone_ special as well…

“Ahhh I know that look!” Milly Ashford pips up across from her, making Shirley jump. She snaps her head forward, glaring at her with a pout. “You wish Lelouch could have come with us, don’t you?”

The smirk on her face makes Shirley squeak out a small noise before eating the sweet to keep her mouth shut. Milly laughs, more than satisfied with her teasing.

“Oh don’t be shy Shirley! Y'know we should all stay up late tonight and talk! How about we tell each other which boys we like.” She grins a bit a bit when Shirley shoots her a glare. "It'll be a girl's night!"

“Do you really have someone like that, Ms. President?” Shirley narrows her eyes. She’s heard the horror stories of all the suitor's she’s...scared away. It’s hard to imagine Milly liking someone romantic.

“Ahhh who can say..” Milly sighs, shrugging her shoulders with ease.

The loud horn from the train hits Shirley’s ears, twitch as her heart beats faster. Their car is dark in a blink of an eye, with the lights flickering on soon after. Despite her own surprise, Shirley quickly moves that aside when she hears Nina Einstein gasp next to her. Looking over at the quiet girl Shirley notices how tense she is and the death grip she has on her clothing. She shakes and looks close to crying, making Shirley’s heart twist inside her chest.

Oh no, she’d forgotten…

With ease Milly kneels down in front of Nina and takes her hands into her own. “It’s alright Nina.” She says, voice soft. “Lots of Britannian tourist go to Lake Kawaguchi, so the security will be good there I promise. You don’t have to be scared of it, like the ghettos.”

“I-I know b-but...” Nina closes her eyes as the fear builds inside of her. Shirley places a soft hand on her shoulder, rubbing with a soft touch to make her feel better.

“For this event, I promise we’ll stay right with you and won’t leave you alone for a second.” Milly smiles at her when Nina opens her eyes. “We’ll stay together through this all.”

Nina’s expression softens a bit as a tiny smile spreads across her lips. “O-okay. Thank you Milly.”

In an instant, sunlight floods into the train as they make it through the tunnel. Shirley feels the excitement from before rush into her chest as she looks out the window.

“Oh my gosh look! It’s Mt. Fuji! It’s beautiful!”

Nina leans a bit so she can get a better view while Milly stays in her spot on the floor, holding her friends hands. She smiles at Shirley’s excitement and gives Nina’s hands a little squeeze.

“Though...I do have to admit the sakuradite mining thing is a bit ugly.” Shirley mumbles after a moment. She pulls her purse onto her lap and starts to dig through it. “Lulu told me he thought it was much prettier before too, and found a picture of it back then...lemme see if I still have that.”

“Oh I bet you’d agree with him.” Milly teases, snorting when a bit when Shirley stops to stick her tongue out.

Shirley grumbles to herself as she pushes aside the many items in her small bag. She needs to clean it, she thinks as she tries to find one piece of folded paper she knows she put in here. Lulu printed out the picture for her after she asked, wanting to use it in a scrap book. Now she can’t find the darn thing…

“Seiryu, slow down or you’ll trip!”

The sound of a small child’s laughter reaches their ears, and makes Shirley pause. Looking up she sees a flash of red hair as a little boy runs up the isle. There’s a woman following after him, smiling at him but with a worried glint in her eye. She does not stop him however, only following with a quick pace. As the boy reaches their seats his foot hits a little bump in the carpet. There’s a moment of stillness, where it feels like the world has slowed as Shirley watches the boy fall. Out of instinct she moves to stand, to catch him some how, but it’s too late. The little boy falls face first, hitting the ground with a soft thud. Nina and Shirley gasp, knowing that has to hurt and freeze.

“Oooh no...here come the tears...” Milly whispers to herself. For a moment she looks up at the girls and hesitates as she let’s go of Nina’s hands. She places a gentle hand on the boy’s back, now seeing he’s a toddler. “Hey there little guy, you okay?”

The little boy grumbles a bit as he pushes himself up, little hands moving to rub his nose and forehead. He looks up at Milly, catching all the other girls by surprise. His eyes are a pretty deep green that shine in the sunlight. Shirley finds herself cooing inside her head, wanting to go over and pick him up to hug him. He’s a little cutie with his mess of curly red hair and freckles that litter his face.

It only takes a moment but it’s easy to see that this kid is half-Britannian.

Shirley watches as Milly braces herself for a waterfall of tears. He stares up at the older girl and after a tense moment the little boy grins at her.

“Seiryu..See? I told you, you needed to slow down.”

A soft sigh reaches their ears as the woman from before crouches down next to the boy. Seiryu brightens right up when he sees her and pushes himself up to his feet

“I’m okay mama!” He announces, throwing his arms around her neck.

“I can see that. You’ve got a hard head like I do, but you should be more careful. You scared these girls!” His mother sighs as she pats his back. She looks back at Milly and gives her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry if he scared you, but he’s okay.”

“Oh no it’s no problem at all!” Milly says with this ease. She stands with the boy’s mother who has him in her arms. He leans a bit away from his mother to look at them and giggles when Milly squeezes his cheek. “I’m just glad he’s okay. Looks like you’re a tough little guy aren’t cha?”

“Milly...”

Nina’s soft voice is what shakes Shirley out of her own shock, feeling her own stomach start to twist. The little boy’s mother...she’s an Eleven. Which Shirly isn’t that surprised by since she figured one of his parents had to be. What makes her so nervous is the fact that his mother...she has to be the same age as them.

With her shoulder length curly brown hair, it’s easy to see where he gets that from as well as his green eyes. It shocks Shirley to see someone so young with a little boy is age. He’s at least three from what she can tell, which means…

“You’re glad he’s okay too right Nina?” Milly asks her tone bright, making the two jump.

Gnawing at her lip for a bit, Shirley forces herself to smile and nod her head. “Oh yes! Really happy that he’s okay. He’s so little, I’d hate to see him cry!”

The worried little smile his mother gives them makes Shirley flinch inside herself. It’s clear this girl can tell how shocked they are by her appearance, but does appreciate them trying to play it off. Nina stays quiet, taking hold of Milly’s hand as her eyes drop down.

“Ah! Mama, I still have to pee!” Seiryu pips up looking to his mother. He places both hands on either side of her face as he says this, looking deathly serious for a little boy his age.

“Oh that’s right, that’s right.” She nods her head, agreeing with him on the same intensity. “Well let’s get to that before an accident happens. Thank you for helping my son up. It was nice meeting you all. Say thank you Seiryu.”

“Thank you! Bye, bye!” He waves at them as they leave, heading towards the other half of the train.

“It was nice meeting you too! Bye, bye!” Milly and Shirley say together as they wave at the two.

Both keep their smiles up until she’s gone, only then does Milly relax sighing as her shoulder’s slouch.

“Milly...” Shirley gains the student council president’s attention after a while. “...She was really young.”

Milly stares down at Shirley with a serious expression. “Yes...yes she was.”

“And an Eleven...” Nina pipes up next her grip on Milly’s hand tightening.

“Mm-hmm she was that as well.”

“...He was a half-Britannian too.” Shirley adds feeling her stomach twist once more. “Milly I--”

“Things like that happen Shirley.” Milly says as she takes a seat, Nina finally letting her hand go. “Young Eleven mother’s with half-Britannian children and absent father’s aren’t that rare.”

Shirley twitches at that, feeling her stomach roll with disgust. “W-we don’t know that! His father could be somewhere...right? What if they’re meeting him...”

“Maybe...” Milly says shrugging her shoulders. Her expression softens quiet a bit as her eyes slide close. Shirley wonders what she’s thinking about, as a million thoughts run through her own mind.

She knows it’s wishful thinking but she hopes that is what happened. The little boy’s mother...she seemed like such a good one that it’s hard to believe anything else.

“But let’s not gossip about that...after all we are on an important student council trip! No time to be sad!” Milly claps her hands together, breaking Shirley out of her thoughts. “We have sooo many things to do when we get there that we’ll have no time to think about sad things!”

“Oh Milly...” Nina sighs next to Shirley letting herself finally smile.

Shirley gnaws at her lip a bit more as she looks at where the mother and child disappeared to. She prays things work out for them, whatever is happening in their life. He’s such a cute little boy, and his mother cares so yes...she hopes they’re going somewhere good.

“You better not be working us to death with this.” Shirley says, catchings Milly’s eye as she grins. “It wouldn’t be fair since the boys aren’t here!”

Milly is quiet for a moment before shrugging. “oh don’t you worry Shirley. I’ve got a perfect way to punish them for not coming along on this trip! Of course it will have to wait when we come back!”

Shirley thanks Milly for being so good at distractions when she sees the little boy and his mother walk past a few minutes later. Shirley catches her eye, and gives her a little nod and a small wave.

Which is returned to her surprise.

* * *

‘ _They should be here any second.’_

Lelouch vi Britannia leans back against the couch, laying his arm on the back of it as he forces himself to relax. The past few weeks have been...exciting so to say. So many things have changed...he’s gained so many things as well! And he’s gotten a point where he is more than confident in revealing his rebellion to the world in full.

He’s also proud of the fact he was able to get the mobile base perfected by this point as well. Thus why he waits here for his men, hoping they will show.

‘ _I can’t keep the_ _R_ _obin_ _H_ _ood act up forever.’_ Lelouch thinks as he tilts his head. ‘ _It works as strong start and will get plenty of support on our side. But if I want to take down Britannia...I have to go on the offensive.’_

Playing with Clovis these past few weeks has been more fun than he expected. Watching him squirm in his sad attempts to get everything under control has been hilarious. But Lelouch knows how Clovis plans, and how he looks down on the commoners, especially the “Elevens”. It's time for him to realize that this is not a game. For Lelouch, they’re not even on the same level and a part of him does feel a bit guilty for ruining Clovis. Especially with how harrowing the royal court can be.

They are siblings after all…

However, Clovis had been dabbling in human experiments and ordered the entire massacre of the Shinjuku ghetto to keep this hidden. Lelouch’s sympathy only runs so far, especially when it comes to family. Minus Nunnally of course.

Clovis is going to be replaced soon, by someone who knows what they’re actually doing. Lelouch knows well he needs to be ready for it. He figures it will be Cornelia considering her experience in war and she is a monster compared to Clovis. The stories of her conquests have chilled him in many ways, so it’s best to be ready for her.

This whole steal from the rich to give to the poor bit is only the beginning. He needs to show the world that they aren’t some thieves running around a foreign forest of Nottingham. No this is a _real_ rebellion...and they are going to fight back against their oppression.

Lelouch needs a few more things in place before that can happen. Which feels like it’s going to take a few more months unfortunately, but it’s worth it. Going to fast is asking for trouble...Clovis isn’t that much of an idiot after all.

‘ _Add in I do have to be careful. I have Nunnally_ _to think about, and then C.C. is about as useful as a bag of rocks in this.’_ Lelouch sighs as his shoulders begin to sag. ‘ _She may have given me this power but she’s done absolutely_ _nothing other than eat pizza all day at home.’_

Yes...that power...Geass...without it he wouldn’t even be alive sitting here as Zero. Which is thanks to that witch taking a bullet before bestowing him with such a grand ability. While playing the good and fair hero is fun... He knows well he’s going to have to get his hands dirty. Well...dirtier than what they already are.

‘ _This is all for Nunnally.’_ Lelouch thinks with a deep breath, letting it out as a soft sigh. He feels his heart beat faster when he hears a knock at the vehicle’s door.

‘ _I will make a kinder world for her, no matter the cost.’_

* * *

“So, what are your thoughts on Zero?”

Suzaku blinks at the question, pausing in undoing her last button on her blouse. She looks over her shoulder and catches a fellow maid’s eye. “Excuse me?”

The woman smiles as she she ties her apron, watching Suzaku for a moment. “What do you think about Zero?” She repeats, tilting her head. “”You’re an Eleven like us. Zero’s supposed to be some sort of _savior_ for us, right?”

“Oh...him.” Suzaku sighs a bit to herself as she slips her shirt off, taking her time to hang it in her new locker. “I don’t really have any time to be worrying about him or what he does.”

She isn’t to taken back by the other Eleven maids asking her that, she’s more surprised that it came so fast. Suzaku at least hoped she’d get her first day in before they go for something awkward like that. She’s not sure if this is some kind of weird test or something else at this point.

The maid who asked the question is around her age, maybe a year or two older. Her hair is a pretty black and long with her bangs cut straight. It reminds Suzaku a bit of the girls she use to see when she was growing up. Britannian fashion has always been popular over the years, and she has noticed more women sharing the same hair style lately. It's a bit nice to see someone with such a classic hair style.

Makes her think of her cousin…

Shaking her head, Suzaku for now she focuses on getting dressed. She slips on a pair of black pantyhose, followed by the black dress uniform she’s forced to wear. Already she finds herself not fond of the outfit, especially since the skirt is a bit shorter than she likes. Which to her makes no sense since she’s supposed to be cleaning. Pants would be much more efficient...but then again a job is a job. And this is one of the few rare ones where people are willing to hire a young Eleven without much hassle. After all cleaning hotel rooms is below rich Britannians.

“Aww really? I thought you’d at least have an opinion give how young you are...Younger ones are supposed to be into him right?” The maid sighs shaking her head as she finishes with her apron. She tilts her head towards the other maid in the break room smiling still. This one sits at the table set in the middle, smoking a cigarette and reading a magazine.

She looks up leaning her head a bit to the right, as she flicks her cigarette ashes into the ash tray. “Yeah my kids are all excited about him. Saying some shit about how someone is finally standing up to Britannia.."

Suzaku shrugs her shoulders. “I’ve got other things to worry about than some guy playing Robin Hood.”

Suzaku's a bit surprised to hear the other maid, who's name is Hanasaki if she remembers right, has children. She is older but still pretty young in Suzaku's opinion. But well...she’s a young mother herself so she has no right to wonder.

“Ain’t that the truth!” Hanasaki agrees, cackling a bit as she nods her head. “Keep that thought process too and you’ll stick around for a long time kiddo. The Britannians have been getting a bit sensitive about this subject. So if they ever hear you talking about it you’ll get canned real fast.”

“Right...”

Despite what she’s said, in reality Suzaku does have a bit of an opinion of Zero. And it’s that he’s doing better than the JLF has ever done in the last seven years. While she still respects Tohdoh, him and his buddies there have done jack shit. There has been little to no improvement for anyone living in the Japanese Ghetto’s. In fact they’ve probably made it worse in some spots and really at this point... they’re terrorist.

Now with Zero, well he’s actually doing some good.

Even though most of that good is getting actual good food to those suffering in the worse spots. Suzaku believes with all her heart that’s an improvement. The medical supplies he sent out the previous week caught her by surprise as well. But from what she remembers hearing whispered around, it had been needed badly. Especially after whatever went down in Shinjuku.

Now if only Tohdoh and the others would get their shit together then...

“Aww you two are so boring!” The first woman whines. Suzaku looks back at her as she finishes slipping on her apron, tying a large bow behind her back so it sticks. For this woman her name is...it’s...crap. What the hell was it?

“Knock it off Fujioka!” The snap from Hanasaki makes Suzaku jump, and look towards the older woman. She’s glaring at the younger maid, who wilts a little bit under the intense stare. “We’ve talked about this before, so shut your mouth and keep your head down. You’re job today is to show Kurosawa around and teach her the ropes. Ya got it? Not to gossip about this shit...”

Fujioka is quiet for a moment glaring at the ground with her hands curled tight into fists. Suzaku is silent as she watches the girl bite her lip, looking close to yelling at Hanasaki. It's so awkward, waiting for the argument that is about to begin. All that needs to happen is a simple spark and it’ll explode…

Thankfully, Fujioka's shoulders relax after a minute and she let’s out a sigh.

“Yeah I got it Hanasaki.” Fujioka says with a laugh, and a wave of her hand. “You know I like to gossip between us girls down here. Kurosawa’s new so I thought we’d have some fun!”

It’s like a completely new person is standing front of her.

Hanasaki watches her with an arched eyebrow, taking a long drag from her cigarette. Suzaku wonders to herself how many times this kind of argument has happened. Must be frequent considering the glares the two exchange behind each others backs when they think no one is looking. Finally she closes her eyes as she let’s out the smoke, it puffing around them and stinking up the room. Suzaku holds back a cough, feeling the back of her throat burn. She hates when people smoke, but she’s not about to be a bitch to one of her newest co-workers. That would be rude.

“Alright...good. Kurosawa, if you’ve got any questions or problems through the day you can come to me if you can’t find Fujioka. Other than that it’s cleaning so you should be fine.” Hanasaki sighs a bit as she shifts in her seat. She flips the page on her magazine, her eyes drifting back down to that. “I’ll see you two out on the floor in a bit. Keep your head down like we talked about Fujioka. I don’t need the owner coming to me and bitching about you gossiping again with the hotel visitors.”

“Yes ma’am.” Fujioka sighs at that and turns to look at Suzaku. “Well, are you ready?”

“Uhh...” Suzaku’s brain stops for a moment at that question before it jump starts once more. Looking down at her feet she notices she hasn’t put her shoes on. Which she grabs from her locker, slipping the high heels on with ease. With a slams the metal door and approaches Fujioka. “I am now.”

“Great! Okay so follow me, for the most part this job is super easy.” She begins as she opens the door, holding it open for Suzaku. “The most important thing to do is double check to see if there is a ‘do not disturb’ sign. Trust me, you do not want to walk into some the freaky stuff that the rich Britannian's love to do. For the most part and you should be good to go but I’d suggest knocking on doors since sometimes people...”

Suzaku nods her head, trying her best to keep up as her co-worker gets into explaining things. It’s hard to pay attention as her feet begin to ache. The high heeled shoes are a bit of a pain to walk fast in, and the maid next to her is scary good at it. Add in she keeps rattling off everything, making Suzaku which she wish had a notebook.

She stops as they pass by a big window, staring out at the lake. It’s such a pretty sight, really one of the more positive parts of moving here. Their old place had been so cramped, with the only thing you could see out the window was another building. Sure their new one isn’t any better, but at least the lake is nearby.

‘ _Can’t wait to teach Seiryu how to fish.’_ Suzaku thinks with a little smile.

Just like that, she finds herself wondering how Seiryu is doing. The baby sitter seemed to know what she was doing, but that fear of leaving her kid alone swirls around in her chest. He’s use to Suzkau not being home all the time, but that doesn’t stop every temper tantrum.

No...she shouldn’t think that way. Her little boy is a good one, and pretty good temper wise. Everything will be okay, and she shouldn’t be worrying so much.

She still hopes that her day will go fast, and she’ll be home as soon as possible to have dinner with Seiryu. Suzaku wants to celebrate their new step towards a better life after all…

* * *

‘ _Well this is bullshit.’_

Suzaku sighs as she leans against one of the many boxes behind her, feeling an odd mix of dread and annoyance swirl inside of her stomach. With her arms on her knees, Suzaku keeps an eye on the JLF terrorists in the room. Watching them move around their hostages, like a pack of wolves. Next to her is Hanasaki who sits on her legs, all proper and straight as she chews her lower lip.

It’s been a few hours since the JLF first stormed into the hotel, taking everyone hostage, even the Eleven maids. The hours spent on her knees with her hands behind her back had been agonizing, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Suzaku had done worse things in boot camp so long ago that it was easy to ignore the pain.

The terrorist with the guns on an unfortunate note, are _very_ hard to ignore. Especially as they bark orders at everyone, and snap at any noise from the Britannians. They are a bit lighter with Suzaku and Hanasaki of course, leaving them in the back to mind their own business. Which for Suzaku, is wondering when the hell she’ll be able to get home. She has a toddler waiting for her and is more than likely starting to get very upset. His mother not coming home on time like she promised, and Seiryu is the type to notice this...

“This was an inside job.”

The soft whisper in Japanese is what breaks Suzaku out of her thoughts. She blinks and notices Hanasaki’s hands have curled up into tight fists. For a moment she considers the woman’s words and nods her head.

“Yeah this is too perfect and well planned not to have someone inside.” She agrees with ease, keeping her voice low.

Hanasaki’s eyes dart to her, staring for a moment before looking back down, narrowing as she thinks. “They know this hotel almost as well as _I_ do...this isn’t right.”

“No it’s not.”

“...You...don’t agree with the JLF?” Hansaki’s voice softens a bit at this, showing her confusion.

“...It’s...more personal than most. But no I’m not exactly fond of them...but...” Suzaku sighs as she shuts her mouth, noticing a terrorist passing by. He looks down at them, staring at Suzaku who glares right back at him with ease. He huffs at them, before turning around and going towards the front of the group of hostages. His attention focuses on someone there when he hears a particularly loud sob.

The more she sits here the more she realizes this is not a Tohdoh plan. Suzaku can feel that in the pit of her stomach. When it comes to things like this, she knows well the man would never put innocent people in danger. This is an act only a coward would make, or at least what Tohdoh would _feel_ is such. If she remembers his personality, hoping he hasn’t changed in the past seven years. It’s clear that this is all Kusakabe and she can only imagine what the other members of the JLF are up too. Probably cursing at the news since this is a pretty dumb move…

Especially since they’ve already killed one hostage.

“What did you just say!?”

This sharp yell is what knocks Suzaku out of her thoughts and snap her head towards the front of the group. It echos around the whole room, making her stomach do a flip flop when she hears more sobs.

“Did you call me an Eleven!? We’re Japanese, damn it!!” She hears a terrorist snap at some girl, and over the many hostages heads she can see him point a gun towards someone. The girl sobs harder and screams in fear, making Suzaku’s stomach twist.

“We know that already! Just lay off of her!” Another girl yells this over the first's sobs, trying to calm the situation.

"Then you correct her!! We’re not Elevens!” The terrorist growls, gaining the attention from his comrades.

“Fine, we’ll correct her! Just leave her alone already!” A third girl has joined in, making Suzaku’s stomach twist while a sharp sense of panic settles there..

If she let's this go on any further someone will get hurt!

She goes to stand when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Looking back over she sees Hanasaki who shakes her head.

“Keep your head down...” She whispers.

“You little...How dare you speak to me like that!! You three are coming with me to the next room and I’ll teach you a real lesson!!”

“No! No!!”

Suzaku tires to stand one more time but is pushed down.

“Keep your head down...keep your head down...”

She’s whispering this like some kind of chant, and it chills Suzaku to the bone. Biting her lips she hesitates, turning back to help her co-worker. Suzaku’s seen this happen a few times with a few other Elevens through the years. It's frightening to see the war’s effect on everyone, and how it's all different in horrible ways.

But she can’t let this stop her...that girl needs someone to help her!

“I _said_ get up!!”

With that harsh yell and the terrified screams filling her ears Suzaku finally shakes off Hanasaki’s hand. There’s a small gasp as she stands, but it’s drowned out by her heart thumping in her ears.

“If you’re a real Japanese man why the hell are you terrorizing that girl!!??”

The entire room was silent before, but now it has gone a deathly still. Suzaku can feel everyone’s attention shift to her as she stands there, and for a second she regrets it. A small voice she hasn’t heard in years whispers _she needs to go back down. If she goes fast maybe they won’t come near her? She doesn’t want them to hurt her...she knows they would even if she’s Japanese. If they don’t then maybe they won’t hurt her to bad if she let’s do what ever they want with her...keep her mouth shut and l--_

Suzaku shrugs this voice off as well, refusing to bow down to it again. And when she sees the girl sobbing in the terrorist's grasp, that all fades away. She...she was one of the girl’s on the train. The quiet one who looked so scared...now it’s even worse.

“What did you say to me!?” Now the terrorist’s attention is on Suzaku, who glares straight into his eyes unflinching.

“You heard me...” Suzaku snaps gripping her hands into fists. “A real Japanese man wouldn’t be scaring a poor girl like that!”

“What the hell...you’re Japanese too!? Are you some kind of Brit lover or what?” The terrorist can barley believe this, a Japanese woman standing up to him over some Britannian girl?

Suzaku isn’t sure why she’s doing this herself, knowing this is going to make things even worse than before...and she needs to get home to Seiryu! But...Suzaku’s eyes drift down to the girl and catches her stare. She’s crying, and looks so scared and confused.

It asks, why is Suzaku speaking out for her? She’s Japanese too...right? So why does she care?

It makes her heart twist as she focuses back on the man holding onto the girl's arm.

“I have no loyalty to Britannia, but I sure as hell know not to involve civilians no matter what race!” Suzaku yells feeling the anger burn in side of her. “She’s terrified out of her mind and you’re only making it worse! You’re a coward, towering over someone who’s weaker than you!”

“You...You bitch!”

The terrorist are fasts and surround her with ease, pushing past the other hostages roughly. Two come to her side and Suzaku has to keep herself breathing slow so she doesn't freak out. It’s more of a challenge than she likes too…

They all glare at her, not too happy to have a woman yell at them, let alone a _Japanese_ woman be the culprit. Isn’t she supposed to be on their side, right?

“You’re going to stand there and really defend a Britannian girl aren’t you?” Another hisses at her right, as he points his gun at her. Suzaku glances down at it, unimpressed by the firearm and the man holding it.

“Damn straight I am.” Suzaku crosses her arms with ease. “I don’t give a shit if she’s a Britannian, Japanese, or anything else. I’m not going to sit here and let you scare her like this because you have some sort of anger issue.”

He points the gun towards the ground, surprised by her words and sneers. Lightning fast, the terrorist grabs Suzaku by the collar of her uniform and leans down over here. Panic begins to rise inside of her chest, but she keeps herself calm, and let’s him get in her face.

“You think I have an anger issue?” He hisses to her in Japanese. She wishes it didn’t hold such a harsh and threatening tone. It’s been a long time since she’s heard someone speak in her native tongue...

“I don’t know, your actions speak louder than your words.” Suzaku answers back in English.

She’s not sure what she’s doing...a part of her screaming that she’s being completely stupid. Why the hell is she asking for a fight!?

The rage in this man’s eyes burn towards her as soon as the words leave her lips. His grip on her uniform becomes tighter as he pulls her a bit closer. He looks close to punching her, something Suzaku is more than ready to handle. Her own hand twitches, ready to block him as she sees his hand raise out of the corner of her eye. She can hear the frightened whispers from the other hostages all around her. So frightened that she’s signed their death certificates for speaking out.

A strong hand claps down on to the terrorist’s shoulder, making him freeze and turn to see one of his teammates there. This man is a bit bigger, sporting an amused smile on his lips despite the situation.

“Maeda, that’s enough out here. Take her to the room next door since she’s eager to take that girl’s punishment instead.” His eyes drift from his teammate back to Suzaku, who’s stomach flip flops and she grips her hands into tight fits. She knows that glimmer in his eye...she knows it all to sickeningly well. “We’ll teach her what a _real_ Japanese man is.”

For a moment the one holding her is confused, but a smile spreads across his lips as he nods his head. He looks back at Suzaku, that anger and hate still there but now mixed with something else. She keeps her chin pointed up, refusing to have this man look down at her as her stomach twists and turns. He lets her go and takes a step back to give themselves some space.

“Ahhh I get ya, I get ya... _you_ turn around and put your hands up.” He orders Suzaku with ease, pointing his gun at her. “And get walking. Don’t try anything funny or we’ll shoot you.”

Suzaku is silent as she turns around and lift her arms up with open hands. She sallow, half hating herself for getting into this. If she had kept her mouths shut then—no. That’s not right at all. There is no way she could sit there and let that girl get harassed. Not with her frightened screams echoing around them and her begging. Then go home to her son and pretend this never happened.

Suzaku does not do that.

She does not regret this at all as she begins to walk towards the entrance. Especially as a plan starts to form in her head.

It’s crazy...and it’s going to get a bit bloody but...it’ll get her home to Seiryu and that’s what’s important.

* * *

He’s going to have a panic attack….

Staring up at the hotel, chewing at his lower lip Clovis la Britannia is not having as very good day. Bad does not even begin to describe the current disaster he is dealing with. Horrible, and terrible scratch at a good start, but honestly if he’s still alive by the end of this that in itself will be a miracle.

Cornelia is going to kill him.

He had promised her over and over that Area 11 was safe. That Zero was just an upstart Robin Hood wannabe and not even close to being a real terrorist. Euphiemia will be safe! But here he is now wondering how Cornelia is going to kill him.

“ _Probably crush me with her damned Knightmare...”_ Clovis sighs as he rubs his forehead. “ _Damn terrorist. They’re going to be the death of me.”_

While Zero has been a pain in his side for the last few months a part of him is thankful the ones attacking the hotel is the JLF. That at least makes him half right that Zero is harmless. At the same time...

His little sister is caught up in this.

Euphemia li Britannia has come to visit him and see what Area 11 is like. It took them both months to convince their older sister she would be safe and sound. Nothing would happen under Clovis’s watch! And then she had to go and visit this _damn_ hotel. Which of course had to be the one that the JLF decided to take hostage that day as well. Oh no they couldn’t go take hostage any other one it had to be the one his precious little sister was visiting. Stupid sakuradite meetings and Euphie insisting she had to go in his place. To spread her wings she said! And then this happens.

Just his damn luck....

Despite this there is one saving grace and that is the damn terrorist do not know Euphemia is there. Thankfully the princess has been smart enough to blend in with the commoners. As have her bodyguards. It has worked out so so well, it has kept her protected. But this will only work for so long. The JLF has already killed one hostage and is planning to do more if he doesn't agree to some terms. It’s only a matter of time until they get to her.

Clovis has to act fast…

“Your highness...there’s an unmarked Vehicle approaching.”

“And what of it? Probably another news crew here to get the damn story.” Clovis huffs, waving his hand at his men. He squeezes his eyes shut before pinching the bridge of his nose as his headache worsens.

“No that isn’t exactly what’s happening....sir I think you should pay attention to this one.” The soldier pips back up.

“And why is that?” Clovis snaps.

“Because Zero is on top and he wishes to speak to you.”

That gets Clovis’s attention.

His eyes snap open and he feels dread begin to roll in his stomach as his men bring up the video feed of said vehicle. And to his surprise Zero _is_ there, standing on the roof of a van. He barley moves as the car drives forward slow and steady. It’s hard to tell where his attention is thanks to that damn helmet he wears, but he's confident it's on himself.

“Of course he would come. What the hell does he want...?” Clovis groans.

Can this day get any worse?

“Your highness, Zero wants to speak with you

Of course it can!

Sighing dramatically, Clovis shifts and sits up properly in his chair before fussing with his ascot. One quick tug at each of his gloves and he is more than ready for Zero...he hopes. The damn terrorist always finds a way to catch him off guard and make him a fool any time they speak...

“Alright, open the channel. I am ready.”

His men nod as they get to work and the sound of keyboard clicking fill his ears. It only takes a minute for them to connect to Zero's broadcast signal. The screen in front of him goes black for a split second, shutting off the hotel map he had been staring at for hours. In a blink of an eye it’s back and Zero is staring at him.

“Good evening Prince Clovis.”

“It’s never a good evening when you are bothering me Zero. Now, what do you want.” Clovis rolls his eyes cutting to the chase.

“Quite impatient aren’t we? Well I can’t imagine anyone would be in a particularly happy mood this night given the recent events.” Zero’s voice is as infuriating smooth as ever.

‘ _No shit.’_ Clovis thinks biting his tongue to stop the curse. He is a prince, such language is never proper even when dealing with such an annoying bastard.

“If you can’t tell I am quite busy tonight and I have no time for your antics.” Clovis huffs with ease. “If all you want to do is gloat then please do it another time.”

“I am not here to play Clovis. I am just as unhappy as you are with the JLF at the moment.” Zero’s arms move from under his cape, crossing with grace.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I want the same thing as they do, but kidnapping and using civilians is below my group and myself. This is disgraceful and gets us nowhere in the long run. No matter what the race, this fight is between Britannia and us. Not their innocent citizens.” Zero explains, his head tilting to the side.

“What a noble sentiment for such an annoyance.” Clovis snorts after a thought.

“You shouldn’t be so quick to laugh your highness. Your hands are covered in blood like the JLF. So do not think you are above them yourself.”

Clovis feels his blood freeze inside his veins at Zero’s words. His right shoulder aches, reminding him of the injury he suffered just a few weeks ago...right after Shinjuku...

“Either way that is a discussion for another time. At the moment there are innocent lives on stake from both sides. I can’t help but notice your hesitation in sending any troops in...” Zero mentions this, glancing towards the hotel. “By now you would have sent in some sort of group I imagine...”

“They’ll shoot the hostages.” Clovis says as his stomach twists harder. He waves his hand with ease, trying to keep his expression neutral. “It would be a massacre if I were to send men in there.”

“Hmm...True, but this feels far to drawn out for someone as impatient as you. Almost as if someone _important_ is there, hiding among the hostages...” Zero hums to himself at this thought.

Clovis’s heart jumps at his words and gasps. “How….How did you know Princess Euphemia was in there!!??”

There is a loud groan next to him, one Clovis ignores as he panics inside. Oh god….how in the world did Zero find out his sister is here? Was there a leak? Must have been, or maybe he hacked into the system. There has been a few reports that damn Eleven hackers have been getting more active. It’s been harder to keep them out! Maybe one of them found out about Euphemia and reported it to Zero...yes...that must be how he knows!

“I figured as much. The only reason you wouldn’t act on your impulsive nature is because someone very dear to you is in trouble.” Zero sighs a bit. “Despite this….I think this has worked in your favor, and mine as well.”

Clovis sucks in a breath between his teeth. “And why is that Zero?”

“Because….with your hesitation I was able to get here in time. You see, my dear Prince Clovis, I am here to offer you something. Something that will not only save your sister, but all the other hostages inside.” Clovis can hear Zero’s smirk in his voice as these words reach his ears.

Narrowing his eyes CLovis leans a bit forward. “Oh? And what would that be?”

“My help.”

* * *

‘ _Damn, there’s a lot more on this level than I thought there would be.’_

With her back against the wall, and angling out a compact mirror, Suzaku counts how many men she can see. A quick tally brings up to at least eight, all dispersed down the hall. Four stand next to what she assumes is the stairwell while two more are at the elevator. The other two stand a few feet from her, both holding a mixture of boredom and smugness on their faces she’s not fond of.

She closes the compact mirror and slips it into her apron, taking a quiet deep breath.

‘ _It looks like they didn’t hear my first fight.’_ She looks down at her gun adjusting it to a more comfortable spot. ‘ _Which is good, but I imagine they have to change spots and make some rounds soon.’_

The two closest to her are the biggest hurdles right now. A quick distraction or attack is what she needs to make her way towards the others down the hall. If she can catch them off guard before they can shoot she’s got a better chance to hide. There's a small display case she can use for some sad cover but it will work.

From there…..she’ll have to get creative.

But it shouldn’t be too hard, these guys are the JLF which means they are at the same level she's at or below. Most of the ground soldiers, if she remembers right, never got the full brunt of the higher ups. That was more out of the JLF not having the supplies and space to do so. Tohdoh tended to give basic self defense lessons to the younger recruits. While another leader would teach them how to use firearms. Knightmares were a whole different story back then, but that was four years ago.

Things must have advanced considering they haven’t sent in a million knightmares by now. Whatever Kusakabe has is a big deal and it’s hindering the Britannians from sending in their forces.

‘ _Something else is going on though, to make Clovis hesitate like this.’_ Suzaku leans to the side as she lifts up her leg, slipping her shoe off. She does the same with the other foot and the relief she gets is almost instant. Looking down at the dumb high heeled shoes she pauses, before smirking.

“Hey have you heard from Nakahara lately? I saw her go up stairs to talk to Kusakabe but haven’t seen her come down.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah she was reporting back to him about whatever. You know how seriously she takes this job.”

“Hahah I know. She’s a bit more intense than some of the older guys.”

The casual conversation echos in Suzaku’s ears as she focuses, pushing them out with ease. Once more it’s just her and her breathing and heart beats. It’s soothing and gives her the boost she needs.

Alright...she can do this!

With two more deep breaths Suzaku snaps her eyes and rushes around the corner.

“Yeah that girl is cra--gah!!”

Suzaku chucks her first shoe at the terrorist on the left, hitting him square in the face. The second man stares at his buddy on the ground, so confused his brain is unable to process what happened.

Where the hell did that shoe come from!?

Suzaku doesn't leave him hanging for long before throwing her second shoe. This one hits him in the forehead, bouncing off with light thunk. Suzaku is fast, rushing down the hall and giving the man no time to recover as she punches the second one. It’s a one hit KO and he’s down on the ground, while the other one stares in surprise, still rubbing his nose.

“ **We’re under attack!!** ”

She hears them ready their guns when she grabs the first man by the scruff of his jacket. A quick punch in the face throws him off, making him let go of his gun. He screams, but is cut short by the sound of gun fire as Suzaku pulls him close. The first few bullets hit him, his gasp of pain sending a shiver down Suzaku's spine.

There’s a break, letting her take a quick moment to push the literal dead weight she has to the ground. She scrambles to a small wooden display case with a vase on top, missing the second round by a hair. This gunfire lasts for a few seconds before they stop, swearing when they realize they have shot their comrade.

“What the hell was that!?" She hears one yell out, fear clear in his voice. "Oh my god...d-don't tell me we--"

“Don’t care. Alert everyone upstairs that someone is attacking us!! Colonel Kusakabe needs to know!!”

“Oh god I think we did...Shit we shot Kouta!!”

“Come out with your hands up now Britannian!! We have you surrounded!”

Suzaku rolls yer eyes at their yelling, annoyed by their words. The last one keeps screaming at her that this is her last warning every few seconds if she doesn’t come out with her hands up. That they’ll shoot at her again.

“If you’re going to shoot, just shoot!” Suzaku shouts in Japanese, smirking when they gasp. “Otherwise you’re messing around!”

“W-what...that was Japanese!?”

“A woman’s voice too!!”

“H-hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing!? We’re Japanese too! How can you attack us like that!?”

Suzaku turns her focus down and checks the assault rifle she has in her lap. It’s easy to find the safety switch, which she flips off. It’s heavy in her arms, and is the same type of model that was used in her basic training.

Which means they're using older equipment. She's not surprised, they have the hand me downs from the Britannian military in a sense. You take what you can get when it comes to war.

“You terrorist attacked me first.” She states with ease. “I’m just trying to get home.”

There’s a mumble of confusion by her words, as she takes a deep breath...and rolls out into the hall. Suzaku pushes herself up on to one knee and takes aim at the men a few feet away. Pulling the trigger is chill inducing easy as gunshots thunders in her ears. She hits her first mark, making the guy next to him gasp. With him caught off guard, it’s easy to hit him too with another quick burst of bullets. This gets the others to act quickly and ready their guns.

It’s scary how her basic training comes back as she watches them fall, deciding to now discarding the large gun. It will weigh her down, and for her next move she doesn't need it. She stands with ease, and begins to run towards the last four. She darts this way and that through the hall as the other men continue to shoot at her. Suzaku’s heart thumps in her ears as the bullets wiz by, and the gunshots echo in the small hallway. If the rest of their team didn't know about her, they sure as hell do now with all this noise.

She jumps, twisting her body in an all to familiar way and lands a spin kick to to the terrorist on the right.

Landing is easy, it’s even easier to grab the top of the terrorist’s assault rifle on the left and force it down. Her fist connects with his nose, and there’s a crunchy feeling that sends an odd thrill through her. He drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes leaving two more men left. Letting go of his gun, Suzaku reaches behind and pulls out her hand gun.

“What...what the fuck is she!?”

The shock on their faces is satisfying as she points the weapon at them. The last two almost scream as she begins to walk towards them, her pace slow. One looks down and begins to fumble with his rifle, trying to reload as his hands shake in stark terror. The other is yelling into his radio, backing up away from her. In a few short steps, he ends up with his back in a corner looking between her and the radio, desperate to get some form of help.

Suzaku decides to take him out first.

“She’s in a freaking maid’s uniform!! And she dodged every bullet, sir she can’t be human!! We need back up right n--”

His words are cut short by the bullet that enters his head. His body slumps into the corner, sliding down and leaving a trail of blood behind on the wall.

The last terrorist smiles in relief as he finally gets the new clip into the gun. Yes...he has--he gasps when he feels Suzaku press her gun to his head. He hadn’t even noticed his teammate was dead until now, eyes darting to look at the corner. His teeth clatter as he turns to look at Suzaku, swallowing when their eyes connect.

“How many men are there with Kusakabe?”

Here tone is level, and serious but not enough to get under his skin. The sneer he tosses her almost makes Suzaku roll her eyes. She hates when men get like this with her…

“I ain’t telling a damned Britt lover shit!” He snaps, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. “Dying is more honorable than giving up any information...”

“….Is that so?” Suzaku asks tilting her head.

The punch to his gut is swift and precise, hitting him in a spot she knows will hurt but not knock him down. He lets go of his gun in favor of holding his gut, groaning before he begins to cough and suck in air. Suzaku let’s him struggle for a bit before she grabs him by his uniform collar, slamming him against the wall. She presses the gun to his temple once more and she sees that familiar flash of fear in his eyes. All his attention is on her weapon despite his coughing, which is what she wants.

Fear makes humans panic and in turn make mistakes.

“I won’t ask you again. How many men are guarding Kusakabe!?” Suzaku raises her voice, laying on her best mom tone.

She’s a bit surprised when it works, him gulping before he closes his eyes. She's seen Seiryu have that look, as if he can't understand why his mom is yelling at him when he didn’t listen. Kind of funny in a weird way...

“There...th-there are three guarding the Colonel.” He admits finally. “B-but you’ll never take them down!!”

Suzaku takes in the information and sighs a bit. She can’t help but feel it’s a bit undermanned considering what was here, but she figures no one expected this. Not every Eleven maid knows how to fine like she does after all.

It shouldn’t be too hard… a lot less men to deal with considering things she went through only a minute before. Suzaku should get moving as she remembers the one screaming into his radio. He had been calling for help and if more men arrived it would be a pain in the ass to have to deal with them too.

Suzaku turns her attention back to the terrorist she has and it hits her that he’s about the same age as she is. Some how….she feels older than him, and wonders would she be like him if she had stayed in the military? Or hell, if she hadn’t run away from her family would she have joined the JLF? Maybe…

“Thank you for the information.” She says with ease loosening her grip. “...And I’m sorry.”

There’s confusion that stirs in his eyes, and then the familiar blank shock when she pulls the trigger. Guilt eats at her a little, knowing she can’t let him go despite him being so young.

If she did reinforcements would come even faster...and she can't let that happen.

* * *

“Do ya think this will really work?”

Tamaki’s words echo in Kallen’s head as she presses the C4 against the wall. She sets the signal, and stands back. She hears him do the same groaning when he gets off of a ladder.

“To be honest...I’m not sure. But what else can we do?” Kallen offers.

Yes….Zero’s plan. It’s crazy, and dangerous but honestly they don’t have much else they can do. With all the hostages in the JLF’s control and Britannia refusing to move...yeah this is all they have. Kallen isn’t exactly thrilled about it, but in the end her friends are in danger. And once again Zero is the only one doing things.

“You’ve got a point but like...we’ve been dicking around so much with supplies I wasn’t sure if we’d actually do shit.” Tamaki sighs as he leans against the ladder.

Kallen bites her lip at that one. Sure supply runs suck but they are important. She hadn’t even realized how desperate some areas were before this. She doesn’t really mind, a part of her rather be helping people and gain a reputation than just attacking. And it’s a smart move too since so much support has come their way.

At the same time...she’s itching so bad for a fight it’s starting to drive her crazy. She joined the black knights so she could _do_ something more than sitting around. Yes they are doing things and helping people but...is it enough?

“I want to make a bigger impact too, but we’re not _dicking_ around Tamaki. People need those supplies and the JLF isn’t doing shit to get that to them.” Kallen points out.

“Yeaaaaaah I know. But like this is the first freaking time we’re sticking it to Britannia! I thought when we started this shit we’d be fighting and all of that shit.” Tamaki sighs a bit. “I mean I don’t mind helping people. But like...I joined up with you guys since I thought we’d be ya know...actually fighting?”

Kallen is silent for a moment taking his words.

He’s not wrong.

Everyone assumed when they joined up with Zero they would be fighting more. It’s not that they hate what they’re doing, Kallen likes the thank yous she receives from those who need their help. But there is a part inside of her that burns with the need to fight. They can’t keep up this song and dance forever, and she has a feeling Zero knows that himself.

“Zero knows that.” Kallen says, voice level. “I think that’s why he decided we’d help people here. Sure they’re Britannians but this is a pretty cowardly move. After this we’re bound to get more attention too.”

“So what, he’s playing the long game?” Tamaki suggest watching Kallen shrug.

“Probably. I know and you know that Zero has plans. Lots of plans. It just takes time to get to that point but I think...no I _feel_ it’s coming soon. Maybe after this we’ll see a hell of a lot more action.” Kallen catches Tamaki’s eyes, looking right into them.

For a second he stares at her, confused by her words but then a slow smirk spreads across his lips. “Ooooh I getcha. Yeah, you’ve got a great point there Kall--”

“ _Zero!”_

The crack of Kallen’s and Tamaki’s communicators rips through the air, scaring both them both.

“ _What the hell was that!!??_ ” Tamaki demands, holding his chest.

“Kallen, I need an update to the placement of the bombs. Are you done? If so, then I want you to focus on rescuing the hostages. Over.” Zero’s voice is cool and calm as always.

It’s crazy how instantly this calms Kallen despite Tamaki’s grumbles. Like a heavy weight has been lifted off, and she can focus on her work. She’s nearly done here anyways, and helping out the hostages sounds way better.

With Zero here...They _are_ doing the right thing, Kallen is sure of it now.

* * *

The minute she presses the button for the top floor Suzaku begins to climb. With one foot on the railing, she boosts herself up high enough for the next bit. Which is bracing herself up in the corner next to the control panel. Her muscles ache and she almost slips when the elevator begins to move but she stays up.

‘ _I need to start exercising more.’_ She thinks slipping her new heavy goggles over her eyes. ‘ _I don’t like being this tired after only taking out ten guys.’_

With a bit of a grunt she slips the flash grenade from her apron, and readies herself. She knows that they are waiting for her to come up to the next floor, and if she isn’t fast she’ll get herself killed. Suzaku is thankful to have found this handy little grenade and the goggles. It’s clear Kusakabe and his men came in prepared and were not going to go down with out a fight.

Either way….it gives her the advantage in the end since this little grenade is going to do some damage.

The ride up is anxiety inducing slow and feels like it takes forever. Her heartbeat thunders in her ears, feeling almost deafening in the silence. Her next fight is going to be a big one, where they’re more desperate to keep her back. She caught them by surprise last time, but now they know she’s here. Sweat rolls down her neck as she bites lip, bracing herself when she feels the elevator coming to a stop finally. In a terrifying second she almost slips, her heart skipping a beat as she feels herself falling. Suzaku catches herself in the last moment, holding her breath when the elevator dings.

Suzaku has no time to loose, it’s either do or die and she isn’t about to let them win. Seiryu….she has to get home to him.

So with her back against the corner of the ceiling, Suzaku brings the flash grenade to her lips. She bites onto the pin and waits.

The doors aren’t even wide open when the sound of automatic weapons reach her ears. A heavy spray of bullets hits the back of the elevator in na instant, right where a normal person would have stood. Suzaku figured they had a plan like this, unimpressive really and nothing to write home about. She's thankful it doesn't last to long as her in her muscles in her arms begin to ache again along with her legs.

Come on...any longer and she’s going to actually slip and fall.

“What the….I thought for sure she’d come this way!” There’s a few grunts outside the elevator as the men approach. She sees their shadows first, her gut twisting as they get closer.“You! Go to the stairs, and see if she’s on her way up from there. Do not hesitate to shoot the moment you see her.”

Suzaku pulls the pin from the flash grenade and holds it watching the men’s shadows. One moves away from the group while the other steps closer. She sees the first terrorist finally poke his inside, looking this way and that before entering. With slow exhale she drops the grenade and braces herself for the flash of light that is to come.

The man almost jumps out of his skin when it lands next to him with a loud heavy thunk. He looks down at it, examining it for a moment before his head jerks up to find her.

“Wait come back I found h--”

The flash from the grenade cuts him off and without a hesitation he begins to scream. He covers his eyes, and drops his gun. Suzaku slips down to the floor behind him, pulling out her handgun the moment her feet touch the cool floor. It’s easy to take him out; with one simple bullet his screaming stops for good. His body lands on the ground, blood pooling around his head from his fatal wound.

“You bitch!!”

Suzaku pushes herself against the wall when the second man charges at her, knife drawn. She dodges his blade by a hair, shoving herself against the opposite wall. Suzaku curses inside her head when she hears her gun drop to the floor, realizing she let it go out of impulse. Sliding against the wall, eyes glued to the man, she moves towards the open elevator doors. The man is watching her too, hand tightening around his knife. She ducks the second she sees his hand twitch, missing the swipe to her throat.

She rolls away, dodging the heavy stab from the man. The blade slices through her clothes with ease, as a chill settles over Suzaku. Without an ounce of grace she stumbles out in the hall with her hands up. With a war cry he charges towards her, knife at the ready. He slashes to the left, and to her relief she finds it much easier to dodge. The hall way is in no way an open room but it’s a relief. Here she can watch him better, and notice every little movement. She sees him twirl his knife between his fingers, a self assured grin on his lips as he takes a step towards her. He grips the knife, the blade pointing towards her.

‘ _He_ _thinks he’s_ _good.'_ She narrows her eyes as his little grin widens. ‘ _B_ _ut really, he’s just a_ _n_ _amateur._ _’_

He thrusts his blade towards her, Suzaku grabs and snaps his wrist with her other hand. The break is easy move, and earns her a scream from her attacker. He drops his knife, it landing at his feet. With practiced ease Suzaku flips him over her shoulder with a yell, using his own weight against him and letting go of his arm when she hears him wheeze.

She's knocked the air out of him.

Before he can recover she has his knife in hand and slices his throat. He coughs and grabs at the wound to stop the bleeding, and rolls to his side. The gurgling and short gasps reach her ears, sending a chill through Suzaku’s blood.

She takes a step back, swallowing as he mouth goes dry. She drops the knife like it's on fire, and wiping her bloodied hand on her skirt. It feels so wrong to do this...she’s a mother now, she can’t kill like this...right? No, no, they threatened an civlian...they threatened her. If they are willing to do that, Suzaku knows she can’t second guess this.

It's such a horrible slow way to go, she knows that but...it's all she could do...She had to defend herself...She has to get home to her son.

Suzaku takes a moment to gather herself, the rookie solider in her her hating how hard she’s breathing. She hasn’t done something this crazy in a long while and her laziness is showing. She’ll have to do more now...if the terrorist are getting this nasty then she can’t afford to be this weak.

Not with Seiryu to watch over.

So she takes a moment to she ready herself, pushing up the goggles so they rest on the top of her head. A few deep breaths and Suzaku has stopped shaking and that heavy weight has lifted a little. Not enough to ever feel okay about this, but she can at least keep moving now. As she turns she curses when she sees the elevator doors have closed.

‘ _There goes my gun...’_ She thinks looking towards her last victim. He's stopped twitching finally, but the smell of blood is worse now. ‘… _.I’m so close...I can’t give up.’_

It’s easy to find another gun on this guy which she's not proud of. She’s able to pull it from it’s holster and takes a big step away from the dead body. Suzaku forces herself to stare down the hall, taking a moment to see if anyone is coming. When no one rushes at her she notices the last door at the end, making her heart flutter with a strange nervousness.

Swallowing, she lowers her guns and begins to advance towards where she knows Kusakabe is. She takes her time, figuring he will have something planned for his mysterious attacker.

If Suzaku rushes she’ll play right into his hands.

So she walks, her foot steps softened by the thick carpet under her feet. It almost feels like she’s gotten to the last boss in a video game, just twisted. That twinge of nervous excitement tingles inside her chest, and mixes with exhaustion. It almost feels like she’s been at work all day and now...now she has one last job to do and then she can head home. Even now her feet still ache despite having lost her high heeled shows a while ago. And there’s a weariness that has settled inside that makes this last part so hard. All she needs to do is stop Kusakabe, and she’s done.

That’s all she needs to do now.

Suzaku reaches the door she lifts her hand to grab it….but feels the hair on the back of her neck stand up straight. She rolls out the way as explosion of bullets burst through the door. In her head she finds herself thanking whatever for that sense as she stands.

The gun they're using here is high caliber, and it completely destroys the door. They must have been saving this if Clovis ever made it up to them.

They stop only after a minute, which she takes as a signal to move. She kicks the weakened door with ease, and is met with a curse from the last terrorist who stands in front of her. He glares at her as Suzaku points her gun right at his head.

“Son of a bitch it _is_ a maid!!” He screams as he throws away his empty gun. “Sir, I’ll keep her distracted while you get out of--”

“That is enough!!”

Suzaku feels her heart jump when the sharp yell from Kusakabe reaches her ears. Out of reflex she finds herself lowering her a little but keeps it on the young man.

Glancing to her right it’s almost a shock seeing the man after so many years. But really….outside of a few more wrinkles Kusakabe Josui looks exactly as she remembers him. He'd always been a big man, which had intimidated her as a child. Now that she's about the same height it's almost reassuring that he hasn't changed. At the same time it’s a bit chilling, as it causes a whole bunch of memories flash in her mind. Even then with that fear an odd sense of nostalgia washes over her.

He stares down at her, his own gun pointed at her head. She can tell he recognizes her after only one look with the way his eyes brighten.

“It’s been a long time….hasn’t it _Suzaku-chan_?” He smiles a little when she grimaces.

“I’m a bit to old for that nickname Kusakabe-san.” Suzaku says, as her attention jumps from him to his last subordinate.

She sees the confusion he holds from the corner of his eye. He looks ready to attack her but is to use to listening to his commander. Kusakabe chuckles at Suzaku, making an odd but familiar chill run down her spine.

The drinking parties her father hosted...out of all the participates he was always the loudest. His laughs would echo around her home, waking her up at the worst hours when she'd been little.

It's nauseating how he takes his time looking her up and down, taking in _everything_ that has grown. Last time she saw him she’d been an awkward fourteen year old brat she realizes. A lot about her has changed, and not just that she’s grown her hair out again.

“I can see that….you’ve grown into a _fine_ young woman. Your father would be proud.”

“I doubt that.” Suzaku spits. “Out of curiosity, are you working alone on this stupid plan? Or are the other leaders of the JLF in on this?”

“Stupid?” He laughs at this shaking his head. “Figures you wouldn’t understand this...you were Tohdoh’s favorite.”

“And I figured someone like you would go behind something like this.” Suzaku sighs herself lowering her gun. “So go on...tell me your big plan about how this will some how restore a bit of Japan’s pride from the old days. That you _aren’t_ a bunch of idiotic terrorist held up in a hotel with a ton of innocent hostages.”

He glares at her, none to happy with her answer. “We are trying to prove a point here Suzaku-chan! I want this attention...to prove to the world that the Japanese aren’t dead yet!”

Suzaku is quiet for a moment, processing his words before she sneers. “So...you want the old Japan back?”

“What other Japan is there?” Kusakabe asks, confused.

“That country is dead Kusakabe. It died the day my father breathed his last and it is not coming back no matter how many tantrums you throw.” Suzaku keeps her tone even, trying her best to not let her anger get the better of her.

“Suzaku-chan, you were young! We have our pride and we are justified in our actions...” Kusakabe shakes his head.

“Justified in _our_ actions? Don’t give me that crap...You're an old man who can't stand that his glory days are past. So you bitch and moan and stir up more trouble that makes everything worse!” Suzaku snaps glaring at him. “Why don't you actually do some good!? Like get supplies to those who need it, instead of hogging it all for yourselves."

Kusakabe’s anger is clear as he sneers at her. "Don't tell me you support that upstart Zero...He maybe boosting moral but--"

“I don't support anything” Suzaku interrupts. “But I will freely admit he is doing a hell of a better job than you ever have. All the JLF does is cause more problems than fix any. Your actions make everyone's life worse if they're not a part of your group!”

“If we can get one victory in then Britannia will see! They will see that we are not dead and that will inspire others to fight!” Kusakabe comes back throwing his arms to the side.

“The last victory that anyone in the JLF had that was of any note to Britannia was _seven_ years ago. Neither Tohdoh or you has produced jack shit in these past years besides making conditions worse. You refuse to share your resources and you sit here and wonder why the Japanese are so broken!?” Suzaku shakes her head. “Keep holding on to the past all you want, but it will not bring it back Kusakabe. You need to let go...”

“So what do you think we should do now then? Bow our heads down and let Britannia capture us!?” Kusakabe hisses at her. “We have a chance to show them we are not dead!! That the Japanese aren’t just numbers for them to abuse and use how they please!”

“And you have innocent people involved in this!! Do you know what your men were about to do with a frightened hostage!?” Suzaku snaps glaring at him. “She was scared, begging for them to leave her alone and they were...they were going too...”

She can’t say it.

The word makes her stomach roll in disgust as she squeezes her eyes shut. The looks they gave Suzaku as they walked her out...how they spoke to her is burned into her mind. She can’t imagine what those girls would have done in her situation…

“They are Britannians and are part of the oppression against us!!” Kusababe roars at her.

“They’re civilians!!”

Their staring match goes on uncomfortable amount of time, with neither looking away. The first one who doe is the loser after all and Suzaku will not lose this fight. Britannian or not the people he has taken hostage are innocent. And she will not stand here and be told that their deaths are nothing, that they are just stepping stones…

"You're father would be so _disappointed_ with you."

"My father is dead."

Kusakabe sighs as his head lowers. “It’s clear that I won’t be able to talk sense into you...Hiro...give her your sword.”

“But sir...”

“I said give her your sword!”

Suzaku looks at the remaining guard who is taken back by his commander’s yell. His eyes dart to Suzaku and glare at her before he bends down. When he stands there is a katana in his hand, and he tosses it to her. Suzaku catches it, looking down at it before she lifts her head back up at Kusakabe. He’s already taken out his sword and stands before her in an all to familiar stance.

“It's not just your father who is weeping at your words Suzaku, all of your ancestors are with him! To throw away this pride...is in excusable. So we will decide who’s right with swords! Now draw yours and face me Kururugi Suzaku!!”

Suzaku looks down at the sword, feeling the familiar weight and finds herself smiling a bit. She has to admit to herself this is a lot more appealing than spouting politics at each other. With this she at least knows she can win. The sword is heavier than she remembers, but it’s easy to slide the sheath off and toss to the ground. Looking down she can see the blade shine in the dim moon light that filters through the window.

She never was able to get full kendo training from Tohdoh, but she was able to get a bit as a child. The stance is what she remembers best, and it's easy to shift into it with her sword out in front of her. Kusakabe glares at her, his gaze never leaving hears as the tension between them begins to rise.

Suzaku decides to make the first move in an instant, and charges at Kusakabe. She uses the back of the couch to gain some leverage and with a cry she slashes her sword down at the man.

* * *

“Uh Zero….I think I know who killed the man we found in the elevator.”

Ohgi’s grim words cause Lelouch to pause in thought as he stands there in said elevator. It’s only been a few minutes but he figures the man must have gone to the security station. Looking down at the blood stain he stands on, a bit of curiosity hits him.

“Who was it Ohgi?” Lelouch asks through the communicator in his helmet.

“Well I don’t think you’ll believe me but um...it was a _maid_.”

Lelouch blinks at the man’s words and for a moment...he doesn’t believe what he’s said. But considering the things he’s seen in the past few week he’s about ready to believe anything.

“A maid?”

“Y-yeah she’s...she’s something Zero. From the looks of it they took her from the hostages and she beat her way up to the top floor to Kusakabe. Last thing I see from her is running into his room...” Ohgi is quiet for a moment. “She’s...she’s also _Japanese_.”

That really makes Lelouch take in what Ohgi has seen. Crossing his arms he thinks on this as an odd nagging feeling begins to itch at the back of his neck. He feels like he should know this person for some odd reason and is coming up short. There’s Suzaku but….no. No way she’s here…

“Erase the footage Ohgi.”

“E-Excuse me?”

Lelouch sighs a bit, standing up straight as he sees he’s close to Kusakabe’s floor. He begins to pull at his cape, making sure it’s in the right spot and looks perfect.

“I said erase the footage. We can’t let Britannia see this.” He orders with ease.

“O-okay I can do it but...um Zero? Why would you want to erase this?” Ohgi asks.

“Because she’s a Japanese maid. She killed what, over five men on her own? What do you think they would do with this information?”

“uh….”

“They would find her and more than likely kill her. A Japanese woman who can do all of this is a threat and a possible spy.” Lelouch explains holding back a sigh. Sometimes Ohgi can be clever, but other times he wants to strangle the man. “She also seems to be on _our_ side and not to fond of the JLF’s move here. So to protect her and thank her for making our job easier we will be erasing this footage. Do you understand?”

Who ever this maid is...Lelouch could never live with himself if she were to get killed for this. If she attacked the JLF then she's not an enemy but he doubts Clovis would trust this. Add in if she is a maid here it would not be to hard to match a face with a name...

He hears Ohgi stutter as he begins to answer, taken back by this revelation. “I-I hadn’t thought of that...B-but you’re right. I’ll delete this footage right now.”

“Good. Now go prepare with the others.” Lelouch feels his heart jump into this throat when the elevator comes to a jolting stop. “I’m going to got talk to Kusakabe, if he's still alive..”

“Yes sir!”

Lelouch cuts off the communicator from there and stares at the control panel. The little button for the top floor flashes, signaling he is there finally. The elevator’s doors open and the scene he steps out onto is something that makes him pause.

Though he thought he had seen everything, he had not expected the dead man to be the first thing on the floor. A noticeable large puddle of blood seeps from under the man and has already soaked the hotel's high end rugs. Lelouch grimaces as he approaches, kneeling down and lifting the man’s head to see his throat has been slit.

‘ _A maid did all of_ _this?’_ Lelouch thinks letting the head drop to the floor with a thud. ‘ _...She must have had some sort of formal training? Like there’s no other explanation than that but...’_

A loud bang from down the hall draws his attention making him stand. Lelouch moves down the hall way, pulling out his gun. The sounds of a fight reach his ears and becomes louder with each step as he closer. This is obvious where Kusakabe has made his little base...and it sounds like he’s in the middle of a fight.

‘ _Is it with the maid?’_

Before Lelouch can make it to the end of the hall a JLF solider steps out of the room, a twisted smile on his lips. It makes Lelouch's stomach turn as the man focuses on what must be a fight in the room, not even noticing him. A part of him laughs considering his outfit, and admits is pretty impressive. Must be a hell of a fight...

Lelouch takes advantage of this, taking a moment to point his gun at the man’s chest and firing one shot. The gunshot rings out, and the man clutches his chest in shock. His eyes widen as they land on Lelouch, and he takes one stumbling step forward, arm stretched out.

“Z-Zero...”

Lelouch watches him drop dead on the floor, taking a moment to make sure he's dead before stepping over him.

Part of him is not surprised to see the hotel room is a total wreck, with how much noise reached his ears. The first thing he notices is the turned over couch a few feet away. There are deep slash marks in the fabric, letting the stuffing leak out in spots. The walls also hold some of the same damage, signaling that this fight has been with swords.

“Just give it up Suzaku!! You’re weakened, and I will not let you win! Surrender and I will let you live!”

“Go to hell!!”

Lelouch feels his stomach drop when he hears the sharp yells noticing the two figures by the window. One is kneeling down struggling with their weapon to keep the sword above them away. This belongs to their opponent and it's only an inch or two from slicing into their flesh. The other stands above them adding more and more pressure to their blade. It inches ever so closer to the first person’s face keeps struggling to push back.

Lelouch recognizes Kusakabe as the second figure, grinning down at the first. The other...well here’s where the maid disappeared too and it's clear what her goal was now.

It’s the name that makes Lelouch’s entire world flip. That name...it always brings back warm summer memories and the scent of wild flowers. And and the more he stares at Kusakabe's opponent...The more he realizes that...

...No...no it can’t be! Why would she be in a place like this!?

But it _has_ to be, because who else would Kusakabe be addressing so informally!?

Lelouch moves on pure instinct, not even thinking twice as he approaches the two figures. How _dare_ this terrorist even think he could harm his friends!? No, he will pay....

With his gun drawn Lelouch presses against Kusakabe’s temple.

“That won’t be happening since _you’re_ the loser, Kusakabe”

It’s scares him still how easy it is to pull the trigger and end this man’s life. But a part of Lelouch is not surprised. After all Kusakabe put his friends in danger and threatened to kill them.

All just for being Britannian....

He has no love or loyalty to his homeland, but those are people he cares very deeply for and if you harm them...

The blood splatters across the maid’s face who winces at the sound of the gun. Her face relaxes despite this as Kusakabe falls to the ground, letting her stand up. Even in the dim light...Lelouch recognizes her. A part of him can't believe he's right!

His heart clenches as a million questions rush through his mind but there is no doubt who this is now. Those intense green eyes are such a give away that Lelouch cares little about the glare that is shot at him.

Because the maid...the killer of the man in the elevator and all the others on the floor below...is Kururugi Suzaku.

* * *

“...I suppose I should thank you for saving me, but I’m a bit pissed at all the blood you splattered on me... _Zero._ ”

It’s those words and the sharp glare she points at Lelouch that stops him from pulling her into a tight hug. For a moment he takes in her appearance, his heart beating faster each second. She’s grown so much he notes to himself, eyeing her height and face. It has lost all the roundness it held when they were children. And her eyes hold such an... _adult_ look he almost doubts this is her.

But no...it’s her...his first best friend has grown up so much that it’s frightening.

“I apologize for the mess I caused you. I figured you would rather have a bit of blood on you than be dead.” Lelouch says lowering his arm with his gun to his side. He takes a moment to slip it back away, a part of him still itching to hug her. Can't do that if he has a gun out...

Suzaku huffs at this, taking off her apron to wipe away the bit of blood on her face. Lelouch can’t take his eyes off of her, and is for once thankful for the mask. The last time he saw Suzaku was when he left her behind with, going away with Nunnally to the Ashfords. She looked so small then, sitting there, watching them leave with a small wave. Suzaku had only been ten then, and now she’s seventeen...it’s almost surreal now.

She’s so tall for a girl their age, and a part of him is glad to see her hair has grown out enough for a ponytail. That horrible memory of having to cut it short after a mistake they made haunts him. His guilt still bites at him when she started to cry over the mess it had been before he trimmed it. It had been so long the edgeSoft too Lelouch still hates himself for having to cut it like he did but it had been a life or death situation.

Besides her hair isn’t the weirdest part of everything. It’s that damn maid outfit that clings to her body, clearly made in a way to bring out her feminine features. While it is not a full blown French maid outfit it is far from the modest one Sayoko wears. There are hints of that influence here, with how short the skirt is. Along with the white lace trim along the hem that brings ones eyes to her legs.

His blood boils at the thought of anyone looking at Suzaku that way, especially with how his own face heats up. He can only imagine her bending over too get some thing and--

No, no, no, don't think of that. There is no time to think of something so... _wrong!_ Right now he needs to focus.

This is his reunion with Suzaku after all! It feels so...off to even see her wearing this! She'd been such a tomboy despite the length of her hair that anything remotely feminine is...wrong?

No not wrong!...Not wrong at all since she _has_ grown. Who's to say Suzaku hasn't embraced her more feminine side the older she's become? Just because she killed all those men does not subtract from that!!

Besides....the outfit does look nice on her....even he can admit that the more he stares at it.

Still this entire uniform should not be worn by a maid _anywhere_. It's so impractical and he can't move away from the fact that it whoever designed it did this on purpose. They wanted the maids to be eye candy for the rich Britannians. They wanted Suzaku to be eye candy.... _his S_ uzaku!!

It takes a lot for Lelouch not shake his head as he forces himself away from those thoughts. It's so hard with how damn short that skirt is, but he forces himself.

And the next thing he notices about her makes his stomach drop. His heart begins to race as he notices is the blood running down Suzaku’s arm. And The more he looks at it, he realizes in one terrifying moment she’s _injured!!_

“Your arm is injured.” Lelouch takes a step towards her, his hand raised. It takes everything inside of him not to rush to her side, take her arm and begin first aid on her.

It's the fear in her eyes that holds him back as she finishes cleaning her face. Suzaku takes a step back away from him, covering her arm with her hand. Lelouch feels like hiss heart is going to break with the look she’s giving him. Frightened, guarded, and anger all mix together as she glares at him, taking another step back.

“I can fix it myself.” Suzaku says with no hesitation. “I don’t need your help.”

“No, let me see it. You are bleeding fairly bad and you might need stitches.” Out of habit his voice is softer as he tries to approach her again, his hand up. “Don’t be stubborn Suzaku.”

“I said I can fix it myself Zero.” She hisses this shaking her head, turning her arm away from him.

Confusion plagues him as he takes a moment to stand back. Why isn’t she letting him anywhere near her? That terror in her eyes, and the way they dart from him to the door makes him worry. She was never this guarded as a child and it makes him wonder what has happened in these past seven years. Still, she shouldn’t be afraid of _him_ of all people.

Then it hits him... _he’s still wearing his mask!_

Almost laughing at his incredibly stupid mistake, Lelouch puts his gun away. Of course Suzaku wouldn’t recognize him with this on his face!

“I can see you haven’t changed all that much have you, Suzaku?”

She gives him a curious stare as he reaches up and release the latch on his mask. It’s easy to take off the helmet, and then to pull down the his collar from his mouth.

“Still always trying to take care everything yourself eh?” He smiles at her, watching the way her eyes widen.

The instant she sees his face, he sees in her eyes that she recognizes him and her whole attitude changes. Suzaku drops her sword, taking a few steps towards him, tears brimming at her eyes. And then she throws herself at him.

“Lelouch!!”

Her hug is tight, and he can feel her shaking as she buries her face into his shoulder. He returns it with no hesitation, wrapping his arms around her in his own close embrace. Even as an adult she's still warm, a walking furnace really.

“I missed you too Suzaku.” He says, his voice gentle as she laughs. Lelouch's fingers already tangle in her hair, making him wish he wasn't wearing gloves.

She smells of blood and sweat from her adventures but that does not matter much to Lelouch. He's so happy to see her again, to see that she's alive!

“I had a feeling you were Zero.” Suzaku says as she pushes back grinning a bit. There are tears rolling down her cheeks that surprises Lelouch. “I mean..It was a gut feeling but all of that crazy stuff? It felt like something you would do.”

Lelouch’s smile is a bit strained from there. “I don’t know if I should be honored or annoyed. But either way...It’s good to see you again...alive.”

Suzaku laughs at his words shaking her head. She wipes her face, turning a bit in an attempt to hide the fact that she’s crying. But he can hear it in her voice, and the tears shine in the dim moonlight shining in through the window. “I can say the same thing about you! But.. how is Nunnally? Is she safe too?”

“Yes, she’s back...home so to say. She’s doing good as well, and she’ll be so happy to hear you’re okay.” Lelouch set’s his hand on her shoulder. “Look at you, you’ve grown so much.”

“And you're taller than me!” Suzaku snorts, sniffing a bit. She pokes at his stomach, making him jolt and cry out a bit. “But you’re still a stick like you were as a kid.”

“H-hey don’t do that!!” Lelouch yells, covering that spot with his hand. He glares at her when she grins at him and he feels like he’s ten all over again.

It’s like...nothing has changed between them. Like there hasn’t been a seven year gap, and they just saw each other yesterday. Despite this...there is a heaviness to her eyes that Lelouch picks up. He wants to ask her so many things, and get all the answers but he knows he’s on a time limit. They have to get out of this hotel before it explodes after all, and he’ll need to sneak her back in with the hostages as well.

“You’re a brat still.” Lelouch huffs shaking his head. “But either way, let me see your arm now. You’re still bleeding.”

“Eh? O-oh yeah I guess I am.” Suzaku lifts her arm a bit and looks down seeing the gash. “I guess he did get me.”

“And you didn’t feel it until now didn't you? Jeez your pain tolerance is scary as ever.” Lelouch says as he comes closer. "Hold still now.”

He’s happy to see it isn’t as deep as he thought it was. It won’t need stitches by his own judgment, and seems to have stopped bleeding by this point. Still it’s worrisome that she got hit, and he figures it must have happened while she was fighting. She flinches a bit as he pokes at the area around the wound, but doesn’t pull back.

“You won’t need stitches, but let me at least cover it before we go.” Lelouch explains, pulling out a handkerchief from his cape.

He wraps it around her arm, taking a moment to be gentle so he doesn't cause her any pain.

“So you’re a maid now? Is it normal for maids to go on a killing spree?” Lelouch asks eyes glancing up to hers.

“I need to eat some how Lelouch. And...they threatened another hostage and I couldn’t sit there and let that happen.”

Lelouch pauses at this and looks up at her arching an eyebrow. “Still have to be the hero eh?”

“It’s...not that. I...couldn’t sit there and wait it out.” Suzaku admits looking a bit defeated.

Lelouch finishes tying the cloth around her arm and stands up. He takes her in, watching the way she tugs at his make-shift bandage. Not enough to pull it lose, but enough to fiddle with it.

“You’ve changed a lot Suzaku. You’re...more mature.” He admits.

“I have something I have to protect now.”

The way her voice sounds, so distant and soft, scares him for a moment. That...isn’t the Suzaku he knew so long along. Of course she would grow and change, it’s been seven years! He never expected a phrase like that to come from her, and the way her eyes widen in a panic makes him curious. She’s...hiding something. Something he can’t quiet put his finger on, but it’s clear she doesn’t want him to know anything.

Which hurts more than it should...

“Zero...we’ve got all the bombs planted and ready to go. Have you taken care of Kusakabe?”

The crackle of his communicator in his helmet makes him jump, which in turn causes Suzaku to to jolt as well. She stares at him, as he slips it back on, being quiet as he speaks.

“Yes Kusakabe has been taken care of. What’s the status of the hostages?”

“We’ve got them and we are ready to go whenever you are.” He recognizes it as Kallen after a moment. “Say the word and we’ll detonate the bombs.”

“Perfect. Give me a moment to prepare one more thing and I’ll give you the signal to set them off.”

“Understood.”

Suzaku is watching him with interest as he takes his helmet off once more and arches an eyebrow at him. “Do you mind telling me what exactly is your plan to get us out of here? Because I’m a bit curious _Zero_. Your plans are always a bit crazy.”

He eyes her for a moment thinking back to her words. Something to protect...he understands that sentiment all to well but he’s curious of who she is protecting. Suzaku was selfish when they were little...to hear that come from her is a bit jarring. Well not exactly, it was the tone that took him back. So serious and soft...nothing like the Suzaku he knew seven years ago. Either way it’s something he will speak to her later...because there _will_ be a later no matter what.

“Ah that. I’ve had my men rig up a few bombs to take down the foundation of the hotel. That way it will crumble, and give us enough time to move the hostages to safety.” Lelouch explains with ease. He slips his his collar up over his mouth once more. “We should get a move on before it gets any later. Clovis is panicking and if I waste any more time he will charge in here. Or worse.”

Suzaku stares at him, wide eyed and taken back by his words. Lelouch doesn’t hesitate to slip his helmet back on, only looking at her when he hears her laugh. She covers her mouth trying to gain control of her giggles as she shakes her head.

“Blowing up the foundation and letting the entire building collapse to get hostages to safety. Now if that isn’t a Lelouch plan then I don’t know what is!” She snickers as he glares. “Oh gosh...you’re ideas have gotten crazier with age I swear!”

“If all you’re going to do is laugh at me, then you can do it while we’re walking.” Lelouch says with a huff.

His plans aren't _that_ crazy....

Without much thought he grabs her hand and begins to drag her along. Suzaku squeezes his hand in response matching his pace despite her exhaustion. Looking at her he can see she’s tired, but looks determined.

He’s...so excited about this.

His heart begins to beat faster as he walks down the hall with Suzaku, while a soft warm pressure spreads across his chest. He never expected to see his old friend here in the hotel as a maid. But he’s glad he’s found her after so long.

And he’s never letting her go again.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a fic I've been working on for a while and it's more fun than I feel it should be. I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories tbh and had a lot of fun. It's going to get pretty crazy up in this fic, but I feel like it's going to be a fun ride. I don't really have much to say about this first chapter, other than Suzaku going die hard on this was both fun and a challenge to write. Because I am garbage at fight scenes. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this, and please leave a comment! If I'm being honest I've been having a couple of really cruddy days, and I recently got a comment on another fic, and I can't express how much this brightened my day up. Seriously, if you would like more please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


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